Fourth branchial cleft cyst with no identifiable tract: case report and treatment approach.

We describe a rare case of a fourth branchial cleft cyst that had no identifiable tract. The patient was a 23-year-old man who presented with recurring neck abscesses. After six similar episodes, computed tomography finally demonstrated that the most recent abscess had extended into the thyroid gland, a finding that led to the correct diagnosis. Extensive surgical extirpation of the cyst with an adjacent neck dissection was performed, and the …